The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-30
ESCAPED FROM THE CONGO.
A Lay Missionary Family That Tasted of Bish
OPP TaylOr's Theory

A Lay Missionary Family That Tasted of Bish-
OPP TaylOr's Theory
New York Herald.
Mr.. J. C. Waller and his family, consisting Of
his wife and two little children. have just ar
rived in this city from the Congo and stay
ing in humble lodgings on the west side. Mr..
and Mrs. Waller tell pitiful tale of the suffer
ings which they and others have undergone
still undergoing IL that pestiiential region.
They went out missionaries under direction of
Bishop William Taylor as part of his so-called
self-sustaining missionary scheme. and they re-
turn, after eight months CT terrible hardship5
and privations and imminent danger to their
lives utterly penniless, and not knowing which
way to look for means of support They con-
slider themselves very lucky that they escaped
well as that after running the gauntlet
of the deadly iils for which the climate of west
ern Africa is noted.
Mr.. Waller. like many Others sold all he had
in this country, in order to join the missionary
movement He is g man of strong religious
faith and with active sense of duty, and he
felt called upon to devote himself to the cause of
the dissemination of the gospel among the
blacks in the new-found valley Of the great
river. He thoroughly believed, however, the
glowing representations of Bishop Taylor, and
did not think by any means that the undertak-
ing would be all sacrifice on his part. He fancied
that the Congo region was place where honest
industry woud receive it's just reward, where
sober and regular life would be proof even against
the iusdIous malice OF the peculiar local dis
eases.
He had resided at Burlington. VT, and pos
sessed pleasant and coy little home there.
Having parted with this and having converted
all the rest of his worldly goods which were not
actually needed for travel and wear into ready
money, he sailed in last April for the promised
land.
He full of both the material and spiritual
results that he was going to attain, and his wife,
who is young and comely English woman.
some years his junior shared heartily in his en-
thusiasm She is heartily denunciatory
of Bishop Taylor and his African missions, par
ticularly whenever she refers to the fact that
her bright little boy of eight years had twenty
six separate and distinct attacks of fever during
the period of their eight months soiourn-
1.-The good people of this country ought to
know" she says that they might better throw
their money into the than to contribute 10
Yes" said her husband, 1T is right they
should be warned in regard to the matter, and
above all that other victims like ourselves should
be prevented from falling into the trap and sacri
ficing their possessions and their future in the
wild pursuit of an absurd illusion."l
Ibid you find the representations of Bishop
Taylor to be false!"
81 did. was induced to believe that the land
there could be cultivated; that 1t would
readily yield to intelligent labor, and that the
climate could easily be endured By people who
would lead careful and regular lives l also On
derstood that we should have proper supplies so
long as were in need of them, until we
were fully established. Instead of all that
found, unfortunately, that the land would not
make favorable returns; that men used to the